New Episcopal coach looks to rebuild team

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, August 4, 2008

To some extent, Episcopal head girls volleyball coach Megan LaBernz will be learning right along with her players when the Knights start practice Monday.

LaBernz, who takes over for Kathy Coe, will have to introduce herself to most squad members, while also getting accustomed to private school volleyball.

Still, after coaching at Pearland’s Dawson High School last year and at Pearland the two previous years, she said she doesn’t foreseen much of a difference between public and private school volleyball at the 5A level.

“I’m excited to meet the kids and get started,” LaBernz said. “Episcopal is a great school. I’ve already met a handful of the players, and they seem excited. The expectations were always high at 5A schools, and I expect they will be high here, too.”

LaBernz said she hopes to teach the girls life-long lessons as well as helping them become better volleyball players.

“I want them to have fun, but I also want to teach them teamwork and help them excel at the sport,” she said. “I want the girls to bond and become friends both on the court and off.”

Only four players return to the Knights after last season’s SPC Division II championship — juniors Rebecca Wright and Kelsie Osato and seniors Hilary Mundinger and Stacee Alario.

LaBernz played volleyball at the University of Tennessee and still plays competitively. She has brought in varsity assistant Lilly Denoon and junior varsity coach and former University of Houston volleyball player Sally Ransom to help teach the girls.

“This is definitely going to be a building process,” LaBernz said. “We are going to have to have cohesion, teamwork and fundamentals will be big. Motivation will also be important, and I think I bring that to the table.”

After coaching in the public schools for seven years, LaBernz hopes she can turn Episcopal into an SPC Division I champion.

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“I want to make them competitive,” she said. “I think I bring a lot to the team, and I hope it rubs off on them. I will be learning names quickly on that first day, but I look forward to the challenges ahead of me.”